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Tire Pressure Gage

FrankFlorio

Impulse
Does anyone know a reliable tire pressure gage? I bought an Accu Gage and when I had Dunlop do a tire check at a recent rally, they found out my accu gage was like 6 psi off. gee wizz.........who ever thought ya need to calibrate them BUT.
Does anyone know how to callibrate them as well? Thanks in advance.........................Frank
 
I have a older dial accu-gauge and it's still accurate when compared to the dealer and TPM. I recently ordered a cycle pump gauge with the inline valve for filling tires and had to return it because it was at least 5 PSI off when compared with the other gauges and TPM. It's quality was questionable as soon as I removed it from the package -- the needle wasn't even on 0 PSI to start. Don't know where it was manufactured, but I have a suspicion.

Don't know about calibration. I was just going to order a new accu gauge when I read your post and am having second thoughts.
 
Most, if not all, of the accu gage's have a lifetime warranty, I'd send it back to them and see what they have to say... maybe there was a bad run or something? I have the model EZ02 and haven't had reason to suspect its off, but I'll compare it now with a couple digital gages I have and see how they measure up.

http://www.ghmeiser.com/contact.htm
 
Check out Roadgear. They have the Ultra Hi-Tech Digital Tire Guage ($70) and Hi-Tech Digital Tire Guage ($25). The Ultra is cool because once you've attached the chuck onto the valve stem it allows you to reduce pressure with the press of a button. You don't have to take the chuck off until you're done. Both guages were rated high by Cycle World.

Roadgear web site: http://www.roadgear.com

Good luck!
 
Schedule indicates RoadGear will be at the International in Johnson City.
+1 for their digital gauges.
 
Yea. Take your thumb and push on the tire anywhere along the treaded area. If you are able to push in the tire, add some air. If it does not give, your good to go. Why bring a gauge into the mix and complicate things. Worked for years on bicycles anyway!

Seriously, I was once told that the most reliable tire pressure gage is the old-fashion pencil style gages. They are also among the least expensive. I won't say this is the reason for my not buying a "modern" style gage such as digital, or whatever. But I can say that my pencil gages have yet to let me down. And one of them I'm sure I've had and used for 40 years.
 
best bet, the old style pencil type, look for one with a heavy head (chrome plated brass) with two grooves in it, hopefully its a shafer and not a cheap knock-off, for best readings get the 0-50psi, if you find the good ones by 2 or 3 that way you always have one...
 
There seems to be a recent idea that if a measuring device is digital then it is accurate and beyond question. I for one don't go along with this. I have no data to support this OPINION, but, I have found that in some cases the more complex that a device is, when used in a rough and tumble environment, lower reliability is often the result. I like my old $1.00 pencil gauge. I like the "Milton" brand. My old VDO dial gauge had the rubber gasket for the valve stem dry out & need replacement.

At last year's rally there was a tire pressure chairman. Apparently (I think) they set up and would check your tire pressure for you. Someone will surely correct me on this if I am mistaken.

If somesuch is planned for this year's rally I would feel it a much greater service if a calibration check on everyone's tire gauges could be offered. I don't imagine that many, if any rider's tire gauges are able to be calibrated, but if a rider finds his gauge is no good or learns a correction factor, something along the lines of the old saw of "giving a man a fish vs teaching him how to fish" will take place.

It would be nice to check that new just bought gauge for accuracy.
 
There seems to be a recent idea that if a measuring device is digital then it is accurate and beyond question. I for one don't go along with this. I have no data to support this OPINION, but, I have found that in some cases the more complex that a device is, when used in a rough and tumble environment, lower reliability is often the result. I like my old $1.00 pencil gauge. I like the "Milton" brand. My old VDO dial gauge had the rubber gasket for the valve stem dry out & need replacement.

At last year's rally there was a tire pressure chairman. Apparently (I think) they set up and would check your tire pressure for you. Someone will surely correct me on this if I am mistaken.

If somesuch is planned for this year's rally I would feel it a much greater service if a calibration check on everyone's tire gauges could be offered. I don't imagine that many, if any rider's tire gauges are able to be calibrated, but if a rider finds his gauge is no good or learns a correction factor, something along the lines of the old saw of "giving a man a fish vs teaching him how to fish" will take place.

It would be nice to check that new just bought gauge for accuracy.

I have five different digital guages (one in each vehicle and one for the shop), no two the same brand or model. I have checked them all and each one is within 1.5 psi of the same reading. I checked them all on my truck's tires so that the testing would not be as affected by the loss of air on each test since the tires hold a larger volume than any other I have available. The pressure is comparable to the range I run in my motorcycle tires. So, either they are all out by the same amount or they are all pretty accurate.
 
An Accu gauge dial with around a foot long hose in the garage. Its got a pressure reliease valve and a) a pressure release valve and a dual foot chuck.

And old fashioned pencil gauge for the tankbag. Several, actually, as they're cheap enough to own quite a few.

I also have a fancy schmancy digital gauge. Its so pretty! And it has "BMW" emblazoned on the side. Truly a marvel to behold, and at $25 it ought to be. But one time on the road the darn battery went dead and it wasn't worth a thing. That's when I went back to pencil gauges for the tankbag. The fancy digital gauge sits unused in my toolbox as a monument to wasting money.
 
Don't know how accurate it is but I stopped at a Snap-On truck and bought a nice dial type which was around $20 and appeared to be good quality.
 
Cold pressure check....

Remember that pressure needs to be checked COLD. Air expands as it is heated as we all know.A tire that reads 35 psi cold may well read 40 psi after the air inside has warmed. So if you're checking and comparing with other guages do it "back to back". I too prefer the pencil guages as they are simple, inexpensive and accurate in my experience. I carry one in the tankbag at all times.
 
One of the neat things about the tire pressure monitoring system on my F650GS is that it compensates for temperature of the tire and gives you the equivalent cold tire pressure. Seems to work really well!
 
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